Written Answers Wednesday 5 March 2008

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to create modern apprenticeships (MA) at SVQ Level 2 and, if so, how many places will be created.

Maureen Watt: When the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning launched "Skills for Scotland - a Lifelong Learning Strategy" on 10 September last year she committed to implementing the conclusions of the MA consultation, including the introduction of MAs at SVQ level 2.

  The MA programme is led by employer demand. It is therefore impossible for government to quantify the number of modern apprentice opportunities that will be created as a result of the introduction of MAs at SVQ level 2.

Cancer

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to nationally monitor the incidence of metastatic breast cancer and, if not, whether it plans to pilot a monitoring system of metastatic or secondary breast cancer in a clinical network.

Nicola Sturgeon: Centrally, there are no plans to monitor or pilot a monitoring system for metastatic or secondary breast cancer.

Central Heating Programme

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider an alternative policy of making available central heating grants to enable all eligible pensioners to be able to engage local contractors who meet the criteria and standards set by it to install the required central heating systems and ensure that all pensioners have their needs addressed immediately.

Stewart Maxwell: I have no plans to introduce such a policy.

Charities and Trustee Investments (Scotland) Act 2005

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for introducing Scottish charitable incorporated organisations under the Charities and Trustee Investments (Scotland) Act 2005.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when section 49 of the Charities and Trustee Investments (Scotland) Act 2005 will come into force.

Fergus Ewing: Sections 49 to 64, which provide for the creation of Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs), will not be brought into force until the introduction of the subordinate legislation, necessary to set out the detailed operational arrangements of the regime.

  SCIOs are a new legal form, and the policy development process will require detailed planning and extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure that it is fit for purpose but not overly resource-intensive for charities or for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Under current plans, which allow for a number of phases of engagement, we would not expect to bring sections 49 to 64 into force before the end of 2009.

Child Welfare

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been referred to the Disqualified from Working with Children List under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003.

Adam Ingram: Since January 2005, there have been 398 referrals to the Disqualified from Working with Children List. This comprises 162 court referrals and 236 referrals from organisations and regulatory bodies.

Child Welfare

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of those referred to the Disqualified from Working with Children List have been listed.

Adam Ingram: Since January 2005, there have been 398 referrals to the Disqualified from Working with Children List (DWCL) and 242 individuals have been listed.

Child Welfare

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the administrative process for the Disqualified from Working with Children List is sufficiently robust to enable complex judgments about risk to be made.

Adam Ingram: The administrative process and procedures for the Disqualified from Working with Children List (DWCL) are rooted in the legislative requirements of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 and the associated Determination Regulations. A case management team deals with all administration associated with referrals to the Disqualified from Working with Children List (DWCL). This includes determining the competency of referrals and on whether or not an individual should be placed provisionally on the list. The team also supports the Determination Panels responsible for making listing decisions. All aspects of the administrative process are robust including consideration of risk.

Child Welfare

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that those civil servants who make decisions regarding the Disqualified from Working with Children List and those who will work for the Central Barring Unit have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to ensure that correct judgments about risk are made.

Adam Ingram: Decisions about listing on the Disqualified from Working with Children List (DWCL) are taken on behalf of Scottish ministers by a panel of civil servants. Each panel comprises a chair who is a senior civil servant with responsibility for the development of policy relating to children and young people; a member of the Social Work Inspectorate Agency (SWIA) experienced in monitoring the provision of social work services or responsible for advising ministers on child protection matters, and a member of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) experienced in monitoring the provision of education services or responsible for advising ministers on matters relating to education. As well as training specifically related to DWCL, all panel members have the necessary experience in child protection practice and/or policy to make listing decisions about future risk and unsuitability to work with children.

  As in any situation, efficient and effective decision-making depends on good quality information. The recently issued Supplementary Information and Guidance on DWCL makes this clear and provides further guidance to organisations on making referrals.

  Consideration is still being given to the staffing of the Central Barring Unit (CBU) and what skills, experience and knowledge will be required of caseworkers and those who will take listing decisions particularly since the CBU will be taking decisions about unsuitability to work with adults and/or children.

Children and Young People

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8484 by Adam Ingram on 25 January 2008, what total amount was allocated to the Changing Children’s Services Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented, excluding spending that would have been subsumed into other budgets such as community health.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8484 on 25 January 2008. The Scottish Government’s consolidated resource accounts are laid before Parliament annually and detail expenditure on the government’s stated aims for each financial year, including spend on children and young people. In the period 2003-07 there was no "children and young people" budget line, rather expenditure on these groups ranged across the government’s budgets.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Class Sizes

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers it expects Highland Council to employ to meet class size reduction pledges.

Maureen Watt: We have signed an historic concordat with local government under which year on year progress will be made in reducing primary 1 to primary 3 classes to a maximum of 18. The rate and scale of progress will vary between local authorities and it is for individual local authorities to ensure that they employ sufficient numbers of teachers to achieve the commitment depending on their local circumstances.

Concessionary Travel

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget will be for the national concessionary fare scheme for older people in each of the next three years.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget will be for the national concessionary fare scheme for young people in each of the next three years.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Budget Spending Review 2007 provides a total Concessionary Fares Budget as follows:

  2008-09: £181.4 million

  2009-10: £187.4 million

  2010-11: £189.4 million.

  The budget provides support for the development and delivery of concessionary travel schemes for older, disabled and young people. It covers reimbursement to bus, ferry and rail operators participating in the schemes and the marketing and survey costs of running the schemes.

Concessionary Travel

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to increase the use of the national concessionary fare scheme for young people.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland has been working in partnership with Local Authorities, Young Scot and transport operators to promote the Scotland-Wide Concessionary Travel Scheme for Young People since the scheme started in January 2007.

  There has been a great deal of media coverage (radio and press), online promotion, direct mailing of parents of 16 to 18-year-olds, posters on buses and trains and a dedicated website www.givememycard.org to encourage young people to take advantage of the scheme.

  An extensive marketing campaign is now nearing completion and has resulted in the number of young people applying for and receiving a National Entitlement Card increasing by around 50%.

  Application forms and information leaflets are available from local authorities and their nominated agents.

Council Tax

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the poorest 20% of the population will benefit from the freeze on council tax.

John Swinney: Initial estimates suggest that the proportion of the poorest 20% of households that will benefit as a result of the council tax freeze is 48%. This analysis also estimates that no-one is estimated to lose out as a result of the council tax freeze.

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend in the next financial year on publicity to make people aware that they may be entitled to dental treatment that is free or at a reduced cost.

Shona Robison: It is estimated that approximately £5,000 will be spent on the following public information leaflets: HCS1 Help with Health Costs (web only) and HCS2 A Quick Guide to Help with Health Costs (booklet). Both include information on eligibility to the costs of dental treatment.

Dentistry

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that dental treatment is available to all patients under the NHS.

Shona Robison: We are working to continue to increase the dental workforce and to improve dental facilities.

  More dental students are graduating from the dental schools and the creation of a third dental school in Aberdeen will also increase the number of dentists available for work in Scotland. In addition, a number of projects which received funding under the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme are due to be completed this financial year.

  The dental bursary scheme has also proved popular with over 460 students currently in receipt of the dental bursary which ties students into the NHS in Scotland for a period of up to five years following graduation.

Dentistry

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage private dental practitioners to return to providing NHS dental treatment.

Shona Robison: The majority of dentists who provide NHS general dental services are independent contractors, i.e. private dentists. Most dentists provide a mix of both NHS and private treatment. A number of financial measures have been put in place over the last few years to recruit dentists to the NHS and to support those dentists who provide NHS treatment. Dentists providing mainly private treatment do not benefit from these allowances, or only receive a small proportion of an allowance, but can take steps to remedy this situation by providing more NHS treatment.

Dentistry

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of dentists and orthodontists who provided services on both a full-time and a part-time basis to the NHS in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS boards. This information is not held centrally.

Dyslexia

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts that there is a condition known as dyslexia and what impact it may have on the learning of young people.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government accepts that dyslexia is a learning difficulty and that its impact on learning can vary from mild to severe, depending on the circumstances of each particular individual.

Dyslexia

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures HM Inspectorate of Education takes to assess whether schools make adequate provision to support young people with dyslexia.

Adam Ingram: HM Inspectorate of Education, as part of its general inspection programme, reviews and publishes reports on the effectiveness of educational provision for children with additional support needs, including those with dyslexia.

  Additionally, HM Inspectorate of Education is currently undertaking a specific evaluation of dyslexia over the period 2007-08 which will provide a clear picture of support, provision and practice across Scotland. The final report is due to be published in late 2008.

Dyslexia

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what working definition of dyslexia HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) currently uses.

Adam Ingram: In inspections, HMIE evaluates the quality of meeting learning needs and the school’s approaches to achieving successful outcomes for all children. This includes additional support needs arising from any form of language or communication difficulties. There is no one, universally accepted, definition of dyslexia.

  As part of an on-going task on dyslexia, HMIE has commissioned a literature review covering national and international studies. The working definition adopted in HMIE’s review is drawn from the definition provided by the British Psychological Society. HMIE is aware that dyslexia can be evident when the development of accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling is notably incomplete or takes place with great difficulty. They are also aware that dyslexia is often accompanied by other difficulties.

Economy

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the strengths of the economy of the Western Isles at the present time.

Jim Mather: The Western Isles benefit from low unemployment, low crime rates, higher than average school educational attainment rates, unique scenery and habitats, an outstanding marine environment, modern telecommunications and a strong sense of community. These strengths reinforce the economic opportunities the area offers and are particularly attractive to individuals and business alike, enabling lifestyle choices to locate to a rural area while operating in the global market.

Economy

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the key economic challenges for the Western Isles at the present time.

Jim Mather: The challenge for the Western Isles, as it is for Scotland as a whole, is to build on its strengths and opportunities to increase sustainable economic growth.

  The Government Economic Strategy sets out an approach to growth which is shared and sustainable, with a strategic target focussed on ensuring growth is cohesive across Scotland’s regions.

Economy

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers that the rate of economic growth in the Western Isles will be over the next four years and what the principal contributors will be to any such growth.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not produce forecasts of economic growth for specific areas of Scotland but has set a target for the Scottish economy to match the growth rate of the UK economy by 2011. The Government Economic Strategy sets out our core purpose: to focus the government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. In order to achieve our Purpose, all of Scotland, including the Western Isles, should benefit from sustained economic growth.

Economy

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the greatest areas of economic potential are for the Western Isles economy at the present time.

Jim Mather: The Western Isles Community Planning Partners’ "Creating Communities of the Future" strategy identifies a number of areas of potential economic growth and opportunities for diversification including tourism, renewable energy, landscape, history, hospitality and the islands’ Gaelic and cultural heritage.

Economy

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any economic development proposal equivalent in scale of investment, job creation potential and community income to the Lewis wind farm proposal currently being considered by ministers.

Jim Mather: The Lewis Windpower proposal is currently being considered by ministers. The identification of alternative solutions is an issue to be considered under the terms of European nature conservation legislation. It would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the application while it is under consideration.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement law and money advice centres will have in the promotion of money management and savings in schools.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role citizens advice bureaux will have in the promotion of money management and savings in schools.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role commercial banks will have in the promotion of money management and savings in schools.

Fiona Hyslop: Local authorities and schools are best placed to decide which other organisations should be involved in the promotion of money management and savings to meet local circumstances. The financial services industry, money advice agencies, including Citizens Advice Bureaux and others all have relevant expertise and are involved in a range of existing initiatives across Scotland such as the Greater Easterhouse Money Advice Partnership which recently received a positive evaluation. Learning and Teaching Scotland are currently undertaking an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement on Curriculum for Excellence, which includes discussions with the private sector and employers as well as young people, teachers, colleges and others working within the education system.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the commercial banking sector in respect of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Fiona Hyslop: A number of discussions have taken place with the commercial banking sector, including meetings with the Scottish Centre for Financial Education Advisory Group, which has representatives from the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Standard Life, Clydesdale Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland. These discussions have helped to inform development of the Curriculum for Excellence draft outcomes and experiences which are being published during the current school year. A detailed process of engagement with stakeholders on Curriculum for Excellence is now underway and will continue over the remainder of this year. Learning and Teaching Scotland are leading on work to engage with stakeholders within and beyond the education community itself, including employers and the private sector broadly as well as young people, parents, teachers, colleges, universities etc .

Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when Skills Development Scotland will publish its mission statement.

Fiona Hyslop: Skills Development Scotland will set out its vision statement and business principles when it publishes its operating plan for 2008-09.

Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the board of Skills Development Scotland will be appointed.

Fiona Hyslop: Applications for the positions of chair and board members of Skills Development Scotland are currently being considered. I expect to announce the appointment of Chair of Skills Development Scotland in April and the board members thereafter.

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8421 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, what maximum number of months per year could potentially be covered by existing vessels to deliver "summer services" and whether he is considering such an option.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8414 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, whether he will invite or direct CalMac Ferries Ltd or another appropriate organisation to conduct the consultation of users referred to without delay.

Stewart Stevenson: Following my meeting with representatives from South Uist, I asked them to work with CalMac Ferries Ltd and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to investigate options that are affordable and that are acceptable to all the communities concerned. CalMac Ferries Limited are currently considering what options might be available for a Mallaig – Lochboisdale service and have already met with community representatives from South Uist.

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8423 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, whether the spending review and budget for the coming period has given him sufficient resources to fund the service described as the "optional variant bid" in the next financial year and subsequent two years.

Stewart Stevenson: I can confirm that there is scope in the budget to fund such a service provided it is acceptable to all the communities concerned.

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8420 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, what the report on the search for suitable vessels that is now with Scottish ministers revealed.

Stewart Stevenson: The report concluded that there were no suitable vessels available to deliver a direct Mallaig to Lochboisdale service but that there might be some scope for redeploying existing services. CalMac are currently investigating whether this might be possible.

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8413 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, whether as part of the extensive dialogue with CalMac Ferries Ltd and its advisers during the tender process they were explicitly told that any part of their proposals was non-compliant.

Stewart Stevenson: Prior to submitting their tender bid CalMac Ferries Ltd submitted a formal tender query to establish if they could submit an "Optional Variant Bid" that did not comply with the tender specification. CalMac Ferries Ltd recognised at that time that this option was "non-compliant". Without sight or any details of that option they were invited to submit the bid for consideration. The "optional variant bid" was subsequently discussed with CalMac Ferries Ltd during the tender clarification process and then separately assessed as part of the tender evaluation process. That option was not taken forward as it was deemed to be "non-compliant" with the Invitation to Tender.

Ferry Services

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which routes the road equivalent tariff scheme will cover following the consultants’ study into ferry services.

Stewart Stevenson: The road equivalent tariff pilot exercise will include all the Western Isles to mainland routes. The final phase of the study will quantify the costs and benefits which could arise should road equivalent tariff be applied on a permanent basis and rolled out across the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and Northern Isles networks.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students in Scotland who are assessed as coming from a single parent family, but have a parent who lives with a partner, it expects will see a reduction in the grant or bursary or student support available to them as a result of changes to means-testing announced on 15 February 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: Under the previous Scottish Executive, information on partners and their income was not recorded. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) does not ask for details of partner’s income because partners are currently not recognised in the income assessment for living cost support. It is therefore not possible to estimate how many students will be affected by the changes as we do not know how many students’ parents have partners or how many students themselves have partners, or what the partner’s income is.

  The Scottish Government did attempt to model the costs involved in estimating how many students in Scotland who are assessed as coming from a single parent family, but have a parent who lives with a partner. However, because this information is not available, it is not possible to produce accurate forecasts.

  The Scottish Government will ensure that all income available to households when applying for living cost support will be recorded by SAAS and will closely monitor the numbers affected by these changes from 2008-09 onwards.

Freight

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage road freight to move to rail and, if so, what help it will provide.

Stewart Stevenson: We operate three freight grant schemes which all encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail. Rail freight grants awarded in Scotland over the last 10 years have to date transferred over 58 million lorry miles from road to rail. Our budget for support to the freight industry over the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011 is £44.7 million.

Freight

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set in respect of goods traffic growth in the Highlands over the next three years.

Stewart Stevenson: We have no targets for goods traffic growth in the Highlands or any other part of Scotland.

Freight

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Freight Facilities Grant has been spent on (a) rail projects and (b) shipping projects in each of the last three years.

Stewart Stevenson: Payments of Freight Facilities Grant for rail totalled £2,045,081 in 2004-05, £1,664,207 in 2005-06 and £2,796,575 in 2006-07. For shipping projects payments totalled £318,263 in 2004-05, £72,269 in 2005-06, with no payments in 2006-07.

Further Education

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of disabled further education students who, in each of the last five years, attended a course of not more than one year’s duration also attended a further education course in the previous year.

Fiona Hyslop: The percentage of disabled further education students at Scotland’s colleges who attended a course of not more than one year’s duration and also attended a further education course in the previous year, as a percentage of all disabled further education students studying a course of not more than one year’s duration is given in the following table. Disabled students are taken to be those who have declared a disability.

  

 Academic Year
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Percentage
 46%
 45%
 43%
 45%
 44%



  Note: Only includes students whose places are funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

Further and Higher Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why no representatives of either the Association of Scottish Colleges or the National Union of Students are members of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Fiona Hyslop: I have deliberately restricted membership of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities to create space where we can have a challenging dialogue between the government and university principals and to ensure that, arising from this, we produce tangible results within a short timescale.

  I expect to discuss the work of the taskforce with both the Association of Scottish Colleges and the National Union of Students at the next FHE Roundtable in March.

Further and Higher Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the NUS and other student representative groups (a) before and (b) after the announcement of changes to means-testing for student support on 15 February 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: Before the announcement of the changes to means-testing for student support on 15 February 2008, the Scottish Government was in regular contact with a wide range of student stakeholders, including NUS, further education bursary officers, the Scottish Funding Council and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to discuss the revised changes.

  The Scottish Government will continue to maintain regular contact with these representatives on a wide range of issues including the changes to the means test.

General Practitioners

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors’ surgeries will extend their opening hours by 1 April 2008.

Shona Robison: We expect the result of the GP poll in early March. Depending on the outcome of the poll we will be seeking thereafter to finalise the detailed arrangements for extended hours in Scotland.

  The precise numbers of GP practices providing extended hours will then be determined in local discussions between practices and each NHS board.

General Practitioners

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been set aside to extend the opening hours of GPs’ surgeries for 2008-09.

Shona Robison: The extended hours enhanced service will be supported by £16 million of funding (£2.95 per registered patient), of which £9.5 million is new money.

  The total new money in the Scottish Government’s offer to GPs is £19 million. We estimate that this is worth £19,000 per annum to the average practice.

General Practitioners

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs’ surgeries it expects to extend opening hours based on the budget it has allocated for 2008-09.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10322 on 5 March 2008. The budget allocated will pay all GP practices in Scotland to extend their opening hours if they choose to do so.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

General Practitioners

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with representatives of GPs anent their security and protection when working alone or with colleagues and ancillary staff outwith normal daytime hours.

Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government officials had preparatory discussions last month with the profession’s representatives in Scotland about our extended opening hours proposals, including the security of GPs and practice staff. Negotiations will continue.

General Practitioners

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in relation to proposals anent GP practice opening hours, consideration has been given to the funding of private security personnel in order to meet the safety and security requirements of GPs when working, alone or otherwise, in the evenings or at weekends.

Nicola Sturgeon: No. Scottish Government officials had preparatory discussions last month with the profession’s representatives in Scotland about our extended opening hours proposals, including the security of GPs and practice staff. They discussed ways in which practices might choose to arrange their clinics and surgeries to reduce the need for GPs to work alone.

General Practitioners

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given, in relation to proposals anent GP practice opening hours, to the provision of funding for multi-disciplinary teams to work alongside GPs in the evening or at weekends.

Nicola Sturgeon: In discussions with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee we have made clear that, while the extended opening hours proposals relate to additional GP surgeries, practices may consider it sensible to include clinics led by other members of the practice team in the extended opening, possibly by moving some existing daytime clinics.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address health inequalities in Grampian.

Shona Robison: Better Health, Better Care confirms that it is a key Government priority to tackle health inequalities.

  We are delivering the Keep Well programme, which anticipates preventable ill-health by strengthening and enhancing primary care services in the most deprived areas of Scotland, including parts of Aberdeen.

  Well North, an extension of the Keep Well approach adapted to remote and rural areas, is being applied through six projects across the North of Scotland, including Dufftown.

  The Ministerial Task Force is looking at the wider factors underlying health inequalities and will action these when it reports in May.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on NHS boards’ budgets of new biologic drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Shona Robison: NHS board general revenue allocations include provision for the cost of prescribed drugs and are set to allow for the introduction of new drugs.

  If treatments such as new biologic drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are approved for use in NHS Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), NHS boards are required to fund them from their existing allocations, and are expected to ensure that they are made available to treat clinical need.

  The use of such treatments that have to date been approved for use by the SMC depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the use of telecare systems and in-home monitors to help patients with (a) arthritis, (b) asthma, (c) diabetes, (d) heart disease and (e) other long-term conditions.

Nicola Sturgeon: Telecare services support the independence and well-being of an increasingly large number of potential users. Links are already being made with Telehealth to support the use of Telecare in extending preventative and anticipatory care. A key challenge for the next phase of the National Telecare Programme is to mainstream these services to patients and service users with long term conditions.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many metastatic or secondary breast cancer patients have access to a breast care nurse.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally. NHS boards are responsible for planning and funding services, in the light of the needs of their resident population, from the unified budgets which are made available to them from the Executive.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocations to NHS Tayside were in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and what their corresponding values would be if the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target allocations were used.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details are as follows:

  

 Year
Actual Initial Allocation (£000)
NRAC Target Initial Allocation (£000)


 2007-08
 549,382
 537,865


 2008-09
 566,431
 555,483



  These allocations are NHS Tayside’s initial allocations for 2007-08 and 2008-09 which are calculated on the basis of the Arbuthnott formula. Further in year allocations are made for specific purposes.

  To avoid turbulence, no board will receive less funding than it does at present and changes flowing from the NRAC recommendations will be phased in over a number of years, as has been the practice under both the SHARE and Arbuthnott formulae.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what NHS Tayside’s percentage share is of the total general allocation to territorial NHS boards and what that percentage would be if the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) calibration was used.

Nicola Sturgeon: In 2008-09, NHS Tayside’s percentage share is 7.98%. The board’s NRAC target share is 7.83%

  To avoid turbulence, no board will receive less funding than it does at present and changes flowing from the NRAC recommendations will be phased in over a number of years, as has been the practice under both the SHARE and Arbuthnott formulae.

Historic Buildings

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Historic Scotland’s listing of buildings at the former Royal Navy base at Port Edgar was taken into account during the evaluation of the best option for a further Forth crossing.

Stewart Stevenson: The listing of buildings at Port Edgar Naval Barracks was considered during the Forth Replacement Crossing Study. As with all construction projects we will seek to minimise or avoid any impact on listed or designated sites.

Housing

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation to provide protection in the missives for individuals purchasing newly built homes so as to introduce a more equal balance of rights between developer and purchaser.

Fergus Ewing: The Housing Improvement Task Force (established by the previous administration to consider issues relating to housing quality in the private sector and the house buying and selling process) recommended that legislation with the purpose of putting minimum safeguards into place for buyers could be considered - but only if it proved impossible for the various parties to reach agreement. We support voluntary moves towards standard missives for new builds, since that approach holds out most hope of satisfying all parties.

  We are currently awaiting the outcome of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) market study into home building in the UK which will hopefully cast light on the extent and seriousness of this problem. I receive little correspondence on the issue. I understand that the report is expected in the autumn. My officials are to meet OFT in April to consider the preliminary results of the study.

  There are no plans to legislate in this area.

Junior Doctors

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that there is an appropriate balance of specialties in the new junior doctor training posts.

Nicola Sturgeon: Training numbers for junior doctors are set through a process that takes account of multiple factors. NHS board workforce plans set out their future requirement for consultants for each specialty. Specialty boards of NES advise on current numbers and also provide a national view of developments in the specialties. During the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) transition, we have also taken account of the number of doctors in specialties that do not have training posts, with the aim of maximising opportunities to integrate them into formal training positions.

  The Scottish Government is in the process of reviewing medical workforce planning in response to the MMC inquiry chaired by Sir John Tooke. The aim is to design a methodology for medical workforce planning which reflects the needs of the NHS in Scotland at all levels from undergraduate to consultant.

Junior Doctors

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement to the Parliament indicating what progress has been made in providing training posts for junior doctors under the Modernising Medical Careers recruitment and selection process and indicating any areas where problems remain.

Nicola Sturgeon: Good progress is being made and the Scottish Government has no plans to make a statement to the Parliament.

  Selection and recruitment is well advanced in Scotland and the process closed to applications on 18 January. There were around 7,000 applications for around 1,300 posts at various Speciality Training and GP Training levels. Because candidates were able to make multiple applications, the applicant pool is around 6,000 junior doctors. This overall ratio of applications to vacancies is in line with our expectations and similar to that for the rest of the UK. Many applicants will have applied for posts elsewhere in the UK and abroad and it is expected that, as in previous years, the applicant pool in Scotland will continue to contract as selection proceeds. Details of the number of applications proceeding to short listing and vacancies per speciality are available on the MMC Scotland website at:

  http://www.mmc.scot.nhs.uk/documents/MMCShortlistingStatistics-2008forMMCUpdatev2.pdf.

  http://www.mmc.scot.nhs.uk/documents/FTSTANumberswithSTvacancies-AllScotland-forwebsite.pdf.

  As always, some specialities are more popular than others with applications per post appearing high in comparison to the overall picture, but that is not unusual.

  Applicants short-listed for interviews will be able to rank their speciality and deanery preferences in order (east, north, south east and west). Short-listing and interviewing is already well underway and offers of posts will be made in three waves from 26 March to16 April. This approach gives candidates who do not secure their first preference in the first wave continued opportunities to secure posts. NHS boards will offer formal contracts of employment from 1 May to 31 July, ensuring that successful candidates are in post in August with no disruption to service continuity.

  Although the practicalities are challenging for all concerned, the process is being undertaken with the full support of all stakeholders, including the junior doctors themselves. There are no significant problems at present.

Lifelong Learning

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when Skills Development Scotland will be formally established.

Fiona Hyslop: "Skills Development Scotland" was registered as "The Skills Development Scotland Co. Limited" on 20 December 2007.

Lifelong Learning

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland will be appointed.

Fiona Hyslop: I have appointed an interim Chief Executive for Skills Development Scotland and intend to advertise the substantive role in the near future. The substantive Chief Executive will be appointed following an appropriate recruitment and selection process.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken by the First Minister within Scotland since 16 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Parliamentary Business since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Children and Early Years since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Schools and Skills since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Public Health since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Communities and Sport since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Environment since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The information sought could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Visits

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the official visits made by ministers to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: I visited the Royal Alexandra Hospital on 6 July 2007, to pay tribute to staff at the hospital, as well as to Scottish Ambulance Service staff, for their actions following the incident at Glasgow Airport on 30 June.

  There have been no other ministerial visits to the hospital since May 2007.

NHS Hospitals

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals have been placed on red alert over the 2007-08 winter months.

Nicola Sturgeon: Most of our hospitals, at some point, need to restrict or stop admissions in order to manage emerging issues. These can range from a surge in emergency activity such as a serious accident requiring the treatment of a number of casualties, through to internal issues such as an outbreak of Norovirus that closes wards and restricts available beds.

  There is no universally agreed definition of a "Red Alert" within NHS Scotland. What all NHS boards and hospitals have are clearly set out plans and procedures for coping with surges in activity. This allows the continued effective and appropriate management of patients during any period of pressure along with a return to normal operating conditions as soon as is practicable.

NHS Staff

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) management and (b) other consultants have been employed by the NHS since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on how many management consultants have been employed by NHSScotland is not centrally available.

  Information available centrally is only for medical and dental consultants employed in NHSScotland. This information is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce in the Medical and Dental section of the website. Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

NHS Waiting Times

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what average waiting times were for the provision of assistive technology services, including wheelchairs, seating, prosthetics, orthotics, augmentative communication and environmental controls, in each NHS board in each of the last three years, broken down by type of equipment.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what average waiting times were for the provision of assistive technology services for people under the age of 18, including wheelchairs, seating, prosthetics, orthotics, augmentative communication and environmental controls, in each NHS board in each of the last three years, broken down by type of equipment.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to commission and provide services, including assistive technology services, that best meet the needs of their local populations.

  However, the wheelchair and seating services project team will look at the way in which wheelchair waiting times information is gathered throughout Scotland, and will work with the service managers to introduce a unified approach to the collection of meaningful and transparent data.

  Following the Scottish Orthotic Services Review, a short-life working group, the Scottish Orthotic Review Recommendations Implementation Group has been established and a national project manager has been appointed. The project manager will work closely with NHS boards to introduce a unified approach to the collection of meaningful and transparent data.

  I will shortly meet with the Royal College of Speech Language Therapists to discuss their Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in Scotland campaign, when the future delivery of AAC services will be discussed.

NHS Waiting Times

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were waiting for the provision of assistive technology services, including wheelchairs, seating, prosthetics, orthotics, augmentative communication and environmental controls in each NHS board in each of the last three years, broken down by type of equipment.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) longest and (b) average waiting times were for electric wheelchair provision in the last 12 months in (i) the Dunfermline East parliamentary constituency, (ii) Fife and (iii) Scotland.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9454 on 26 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Waiting Times

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is to NHS Fife of (a) 50, (b) 60, (c) 70 and (d) 100 beds being occupied by patients assessed as fit to go home but unable to do so in the absence of appropriate care packages.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to NHS Fife has been since May 2007 of delayed discharges arising from appropriate care packages not being provided for them.

Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information is not held centrally.

Occupational Therapy

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many occupational therapists were registered in (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus in each year from 2002 to 2007.

Shona Robison: Using data supplied by the Health Professions Council (HPC), our best estimate (rounded to the nearest 10) for the number of occupational therapists who are registered and who are known to be working in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus in 2007 are as follows:

  Aberdeen City - 130 occupational therapists

  Aberdeenshire - 60 occupational therapists

  Angus - 30 occupational therapists.

  The HPC were unable to provide historical data for the years 2002 to 2006.

  The above figures should be seen as estimates as the HPC have not recorded the workplace for all registered occupational therapists in Scotland. Therefore, the above figures could possibly be under-estimated.

  Also, the above estimates are based on the postcode district (i.e. the first part of the postcode) of the registered occupational therapist’s workplace. As the same postcode district could be spread across more than one local authority area, occupational therapists have been assigned to the local authority that accounted for the highest number of individual postcodes within each postcode district.

Older People

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to examine all people over the age of 55 for arthritic conditions.

Shona Robison: Population screening for any health condition is implemented on the advice of the National Screening Committee following examination of the available evidence of the effectiveness of such an intervention. No recommendations have been made regarding screening people over the age of 55 years for arthritic conditions.

  The primary care medical services contract requires GP practices to advise and effectively manage patients who are predisposed to, or present with signs and symptoms of, an arthritic condition.

People with Dementia

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategies are for supporting people with dementia to live independently at home.

Shona Robison: Supporting people at home where this is safe and appropriate is a continuing care objective shared by all agencies and has been carried forward most recently through Better Health, Better Care . We invest £50 million annually to underpin this objective through enabling older people to access intensive home care, and other preventative services, to enable more people to stay at home for longer. An additional £28 million has been provided over the last two years to fund faster access to care.

  Our concordat with local government reflects our shared aim to increase the proportion of people with intensive care needs, including those with dementia, who are cared for at home. We are working with all partners towards more flexible approaches to the provision of home care, for example through the use of Telecare and in addressing those cases where changes to accommodation are appropriate.

  The Scottish Government also recognises the vital role and personal health needs of carers supporting those with dementia to live at home. We are investing £9 million of new resources over the next three years for outreach to carers, including training, information and other support initiatives. In continuing to recognise the importance respite can play for the carer and cared for, our concordat includes a commitment towards an extra 10,000 respite weeks annually. Our consultations on new respite guidance will inform future actions in this aspect of care.

  As part of our new relationship with local government we have also included significant financial resources for the Supporting People programme within the overall local authority financial settlement. Those funds help give vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life by providing a stable housing environment to enable greater independence. We are also making information more readily available to those who require services.

  Finally as part of the Scottish Government priority on dementia a new NHS target has been announced specifically designed to reach more in need and to address those needs earlier.

Rail Network

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to electrify any Highland rail routes.

Stewart Stevenson: The High Level Output Specification (HLOS) outlines our plans for electrification of rail routes between 2009-14. Electrification of Highland routes is not included within that medium-term plan. The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) will identify longer term priorities for rail and the benefits of electrification will be considered through that process. The National Planning Framework, which is currently out for consultation, includes the aspiration that all Scotland’s railways will be electrified by 2030.

Roads

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications would be of cutting the Roads Improvements budget by £20 million (a) in the next year and (b) over the next three years.

Stewart Stevenson: A £20 million cut in Roads Improvements spend next year would represent a 37% reduction in budget. This would require Transport Scotland to delay or cancel over a third of work in the Minor Scheme, Road safety and Intelligent Transport Systems programmes. These programmes are essential in meeting targets on road casualty reduction, reducing emissions and congestion. Preparation work for major new capital schemes would also be affected. A £20 million cut over three years would represent a 12% reduction in budget and would be unsustainable for the same reasons.

  Funding cuts would require the following actions to be considered:

  Minor Road schemes such as A737 Barrmill Road Roundabout, A77 Burnside Improvement, A9 Bankfoot Junction Improvement or A82 Bilingual Signing amongst others, would require to be identified for delay beyond the present Spending Review period.

  The proactive works identified in our Road Safety Action Plan would require to be delayed beyond the present Spending Review period.

  Our Intelligent Transport Systems Action Plan would require to be rescheduled including delivery of the proposed new National Network Control Centre.

  Preparation work for major new Capital road projects such as Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route may require to be rescheduled.

  Delivery of the identified Roads Improvements programme is essential to supporting Scotland and its economy. The schemes and action plans contained within the programme are being delivered as commitments to address strong community concerns centred on road safety, journey time and environmental issues.

Roads

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the pilot road equivalent tariff scheme will be in place in 2008.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. As I announced during my visit to Stornoway on 26 February 2008 the pilot exercise will commence on all the Western Isles to mainland routes on 19 October 2008.

Schools

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the most recent visit of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to Wick High School, what improvements to the infrastructure of the school HMIE considers to be of the highest priority and what discussions the Executive has had with Highland Council about progressing these improvements as rapidly as possible.

Maureen Watt: HM Inspectorate of Education has made no recent visit to Wick High School or recommendations concerning its infrastructure. Decisions on the priority of building works in individual schools are the responsibility of the local authority.

Schools

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital funding for schools it has allocated to Highland Council for each of the next three years.

Maureen Watt: Under the terms of the concordat signed with COSLA on 14 November 2007, almost £3 billion of capital resources will be available to authorities over three years to secure investment in schools and other infrastructure, for deployment according to authorities’ own priorities. Allocations of these resources are set out in Annex F of Finance Circular 1/2008, which is found on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/11203.

Schools

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to announce a further round of PPP funding for schools for which Highland Council can bid to improve or replace schools in its ownership, such as Wick High School.

Maureen Watt: The concordat signed with COSLA on 14 November 2007 sets out the principles of, and the new arrangements for, Scottish Government financial support for local authority expenditure. Allocations of the resources being made available over the next three years are set out in Finance Circular 1/2008, which is found on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/11203.

Scottish Futures Trust

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when Highland Council will be able to apply to the Scottish Futures Trust for funds to build or refurbish schools in its area.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Futures Trust will have at its disposal for investment in schools.

Maureen Watt: A consultation on the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) was launched by the Government at the end of last year and this can be accessed at www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations . Once the consultation period ends, the responses will be analysed and fully and carefully considered with an assessment then being made on the points and issues raised. It is too soon, however, to make any statements on the detail, but the development of the SFT is making good progress and an announcement will be made when we are ready to explain it in more detail.

Scottish Government Funding

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from the National Priorities Action Fund in each year of the 2004 spending review.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is contained in the following table:

  

 Authority
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Aberdeen City Council
£6,724,874
£8,171,985
£8,699,155


 Aberdeenshire Council
£9,341,104
£11,392,462
£11,970,117


 Angus Council
£4,143,496
£5,089,020
£5,416,123


 Argyll and Bute Council
£3,464,941
£4,364,095
£4,544,063


 Clackmannanshire Council 
£1,872,114
£2,338,655
£2,550,679


 Dumfries and Galloway Council
£5,743,712
£7,032,691
£7,391,548


 Dundee City Council
£5,213,059
£6,517,349
£7,154,050


 East Ayrshire Council
£4,602,093
£5,865,079
£6,360,808


 East Dunbartonshire Council
£4,532,491
£5,530,732
£5,952,346


 East Lothian Council
£3,363,034
£4,149,291
£4,425,429


 East Renfrewshire Council
£3,888,425
£4,819,270
£5,231,590


 City of Edinburgh Council
£12,691,895
£15,664,462
£16,819,879


 Eilean Siar
£1,549,769
£1,952,868
£2,082,092


 Falkirk Council
£5,324,383
£6,581,582
£7,049,833


 Fife Council
£13,056,953
£16,054,973
£17,109,146


 Glasgow City Council
£19,952,134
£25,666,207
£28,571,755


 Highland Council
£9,144,415
£11,173,017
£11,678,738


 Inverclyde Council
£3,277,748
£4,089,428
£4,493,575


 Midlothian Council
£3,274,134
£4,025,077
£4,283,536


 Moray Council
£3,378,185
£4,141,421
£4,412,208


 North Ayrshire Council
£5,463,972
£6,776,380
£7,330,931


 North Lanarkshire Council
£13,378,733
£16,552,596
£17,980,240


 Orkney Islands Council
£1,114,068
£1,403,967
£1,530,922


 Perth and Kinross Council
£4,812,129
£5,876,373
£6,203,320


 Renfrewshire Council
£6,930,017
£8,509,134
£9,206,904


 Scottish Borders Council
£4,063,718
£5,062,866
£5,353,291


 Shetland Islands Council
£1,352,993
£1,720,562
£1,851,048


 South Ayrshire Council
£4,284,834
£5,207,561
£5,576,504


 South Lanarkshire Council
£12,000,582
£14,691,476
£15,790,442


 Stirling Council
£3,371,975
£4,139,892
£4,432,161


 West Dunbartonshire Council
£3,907,120
£4,865,319
£5,314,614


 West Lothian Council
£6,124,581
£7,556,582
£8,060,761


 Totals
£191,343,680
£236,982,367
£254,827,808

Scottish Government Investments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to ethical investment of government assets.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government would always wish to ensure that ethical and environmental considerations are taken into account in its decision making. The main types of asset held by the Scottish Government are infrastructure assets or other assets directly related to providing services to the people of Scotland and these can sensibly be regarded as broadly neutral in ethical terms. The concept of ethical investment is most commonly applied to investment in the shares of companies operating in particular fields or with particular business practices and it is worth noting that the pension schemes run by central government are generally managed on a pay as you go basis, which means that issues over ethical investment do not arise.

Scottish Government Staff

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any officials in the Financial Partnerships Unit have contributed articles to Public Private Finance or similar publications and, if so, what remuneration they received.

John Swinney: The main remit of the Scottish Government Financial Partnerships Unit (FPU) is to provide policy support to Scottish Government ministers and procurement managers on partnership options and procurement methodology for infrastructure delivery and investment. This involves working with all public sector organisations and all sections of the private sector involved in infrastructure investment – to not only receive information but also to inform public and private sectors of the Scottish Government’s current thinking on infrastructure investment.

  Contributing articles on current thinking on infrastructure investment is part of the usual business of FPU and the Scottish Government. We have contributed articles to Public Private Finance magazine as well as other similar publications. Officials in FPU do not receive any remuneration from publishers for this.

Scottish Government Statistics

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to review the collection of data across local authorities and other agencies to ensure that it has the data that establishes benchmarks to provide effective tools for managing future budgets at local and national level.

John Swinney: As part of the on-going review of statistical collections, the Scottish Government will review all data collections to ensure they meet the needs of the National Performance Framework and to continue to develop the evidence base around outcomes and the effectiveness of interventions. In addition we will be working with Local Government and the broader public sector to develop the evidence base required to support outcome agreements and on the reduction of the information burden associated with the removal of ring fencing around certain allocations. This work will also align with our response to the Crerar Review.

Single Outcome Agreements

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available the list of local targets and indicators from which single outcome agreements will be negotiated.

John Swinney: The local indicators will be available shortly on the Improvement Service website at:

  http://www.improvementservice.org.uk.

Single Outcome Agreements

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the minimum number of local targets and indicators will be in each single outcome agreement.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be local targets and indicators for those aspects of health and care provision within the remit of local authorities.

John Swinney: Single outcome agreements will reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes for each council, and will include the relevant and appropriate indicators and targets.

Smoking

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of reports that small public houses and bars have seen significant reductions in their takings since the implementation of the smoking ban, it will make representations to Setanta Sport Holdings Ltd and British Sky Broadcasting to reduce the cost of commercial satellite and cable sports subscriptions.

Shona Robison: At present we have no robust evidence to indicate that the Scottish smoking ban has had an adverse effect on sales in Scottish pubs. In any event, however, commercial discussions of the nature proposed are a matter for the satellite and cable sports companies and the operators of the individual premises concerned and not for the Scottish Government.

Sport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require (a) all departments and agencies to maintain a register listing sporting facilities in receipt of public funds (i) closed since 1 March 2007 and (ii) proposed for future closure, (b) an investigation into each proposed closure and (c) ministers to report the reasons for any closures to the Parliament.

Stewart Maxwell: Sportscotland maintain a database of sporting facilities in Scotland that are open to the public and known to them. If a facility receives an award from sportscotland it is subject to regular monitoring to ensure that the terms of the award are met. If a facility is disposed of within the prescriptive period of the award (10 or 25 years depending on the level of the award) sportscotland will seek to recover all or part of the original award, or seek to have that value reinvested in similar facilities. The decision on whether a facility is to close is entirely a matter for the owners and operators of the facility.

Student Finance

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the poorest 20% of the population will benefit from the abolition of the graduate endowment payment.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not available. Under the provisions of the Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill, Scottish ministers will report to Parliament on the proportion of the poorest 20% of the population who will benefit from the abolition of the graduate endowment fee in future years.

  Liability for the original graduate endowment fee was not means-tested and so young people from the poorest 20% of the population who are at university and are liable for Graduate Endowment fee will no longer need to pay and will therefore benefit from its abolition.

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it expects to save from the changes to means-testing of student support announced on 15 February 2008 and how it will allocate this money.

Fiona Hyslop: We will work closely with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to monitor spending throughout the year. Any savings in the first year will be reallocated to the discretionary funds to aid those students who may have their student support reduced as a result of the changes and find themselves in genuine hardship. Decisions on how to allocate any savings in future years will be taken at the appropriate time.

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its student funding revamp press release of 15 February 2008, whether a student in Scotland who has two unmarried parents, each with an unmarried partner, will have the income of both parents and both partners assessed and how many students it estimates will be affected by such a change.

Fiona Hyslop: From 2008-09, dependant Scottish students in higher education will be assessed for student support using the household income. Students in further education are already assessed for student support using this system.

  The household income will be made up of the income of the parent with whom the student lives and the income of his/her partner who lives in that household.

  Any maintenance paid to the parent with whom the student lives from the absent parent for the maintenance of the parent and the student will be taken into account as part of the household income.

  We cannot estimate how many students this will affect as under the previous Scottish Executive information on partners was not recorded. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) does not ask for details of partner’s income because these individuals are currently not recognised in the income assessment for living cost support.

  The Scottish Government did attempt to model how many students in Scotland who have two unmarried parents and who each have a partner. However, because this information is not available, it is not possible to produce accurate forecasts.

  The Scottish Government will ensure that all income available to households when applying for living cost support will be recorded by SAAS and will closely monitor the numbers affected by these changes from 2008-09 onwards.

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional money it will allocate to the fees, grants and bursaries budget line in table 22.04 of the draft budget for 2008-09 for (a) extending the dependants’ grant to allow students who have a partner on a low income to claim extra support, (b) extending eligibility for the young students’ bursary to include students who are under 25 and have a dependent child or children over three, (c) extending eligibility for the young students’ bursary to students under 25 who are married or have a partner and have a dependent child or children and (d) changing eligibility to student support for students whose parent lives with a partner.

Fiona Hyslop: No additional money will be allocated to the fees, grants and bursaries budget line in table 22.14 of the draft budget for 2008-09.

  We will work with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to monitor spending throughout the year. Any savings in the first year will be reallocated to the discretionary funds to aid those students who may find themselves in genuine hardship. Decisions on how to allocate any savings in future years will be taken at the appropriate time.

Teachers

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what core competences are required of teachers applying for professional recognition as teachers of pupils with (a) autism or (b) dyslexia.

Adam Ingram: Officials from the Scottish Government are working currently with key stakeholders in the preparation of advisory competencies for teachers applying for professional recognition as teachers of children with (a) autism or (b) dyslexia.

Teachers

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers with relevant professional recognition are required to meet the needs of pupils with each of the five identified areas of additional support needs outlined in the Framework for Professional Recognition for teachers.

Adam Ingram: Local authorities are required to employ a sufficient number of teachers with appropriate training and experience to meet the educational needs of all children in their area. Application for acceptance within the Framework for Professional Recognition is voluntary and a matter for the individual teacher.

Transport

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or Transport Scotland has met TIE Limited to seek its views on the feasibility and deliverability of the proposal for an airport station at Gogar since the decision on 27 September 2007 on plans for the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link and, if so, how often such meetings have taken place.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland has met Tie Ltd to discuss options for the proposal to build a new station in the Gogar area to integrate with the Tram for onward connection to Edinburgh airport.

  Transport Scotland has put in place a series of regular progress meetings with the City of Edinburgh Council, the promoters of the Edinburgh Tram project. The meetings take place every six weeks and Tie Ltd is invited by City of Edinburgh Council to these meetings.

Young Offenders

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many secure units are available for children aged under 16 on remand and where such units are located.

Fergus Ewing: All seven secure units in Scotland are available for children aged 16 and under on remand:

  Kibble, Paisley

  St Philip’s, Airdrie

  Good Shepherd, Bishopton, Renfrewshire

  Rossie, Montrose, Angus

  St Mary’s, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow

  Edinburgh

  The Elms, Dundee.

Young Offenders

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new secure units are planned for detaining children aged under 16 on remand.

Fergus Ewing: Children under the age of 16 on remand are currently placed in secure accommodation in most cases. Children appearing on a charge before a criminal court can be remanded in prison custody under an "unruly certificate". The Scottish Government has announced plans to abolish "unruly certificates", which, if approved by Parliament would see all children remanded in existing secure units. There are no new secure units planned for this purpose.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its commitment to bring the number of secure places for young people to 125, what revenue it has allocated to maintain these places for 2007-08.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its commitment to bring the number of secure places for young people to 125, what revenue it has allocated to maintain these places for 2008-09.

Fergus Ewing: The commitment to raise the number of secure beds was made by the last administration. Scottish Government and local authorities support the secure estate through the purchasing of beds for young people sentenced to detention, remanded to secure and young people authorised for secure care through the Children’s Hearing system. Funding for children’s services, including the provision of secure accommodation, is part of local government’s GAE settlement which was announced on 14 November 2007. The Scottish Government budget includes provision to meet the costs of those secure places which are its statutory responsibility to fund.